Princess
by TheMiniCrunchy
Summary: As Sirius, brought up to be another perfect Black, attempts to fit in in the strange world of Gryffindor, he finds out that shy boys do exist. One of them is called Remus Lupin and at first refuses to befriend him. Remus/Sirius, Hogwarts years.
1. First year 01:  Inauguration

To Lau for Christmas, the New Year, your back to school, and everything else.

**First year: 1971-1972**

1/9

_Inauguration_

Within the short month they had been here, Sirius had been twice in the deputy headmistress' office, had had eight hours of detention, and as a substitute for running from his mother's lectures, he ran from his cousins.

"We'll get you Sirius!"

He speeded up. "Better lose some weight for that, Bells!"

"I'm going to hex that smile of-of" She coughed, trying to catch her breath and to keep up with him in the same time. "Yours!"

"You try and do that!"

Sirius turned after another hallway and slid down two stairs, still smiling happily during his everyday jogging. He avoided the professors coming his way, sometimes bumping into students whom he shouted a quick sorry to. The Gryffindor's common room was within reach. He jostled someone, hurriedly said the password and got in.

Home safe home. Or as safe as a Gryffindor common room could be when you were a Black.

Two very familiar yelps of surprise caught his attention back to what was going on outside instead of carefully studying the room for welcome jokes. He couldn't determine what had made his pursuers scream like children but it definitely was his friend.

"Another smartass, heh? _You_ won't get away!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to harm you. I'm so sorry."

He really didn't need another innocent murdered added to his family's history while he was here, Sirius thought as he went out again and cast as quickly as he could a stunning spell on each of his relatives.

He tugged the victim's sleeve inside the common room. "Gryffindor, right?" He checked with delay. One red tie and then one slow nod. He had been positive he had seen that timid face somewhere. "Are you all right?"

"I… yes, thank you."

"My pleasure. The name's Sirius, at your service." He bowed in a parody of a proper reverence. "May I know yours?"

"Remus."

"Lovely."

He met his eyes for a second before he looked away. Shy but Gryffindor? That was new. Then again, all the encounters he had with them at the moment was eloping, retorting and setting up paybacks.

"I… I need to get out…"

"I reckon they are gone indeed."

He affably opened the portrait for him and gestured that he went out first. With a wary look, the boy stepped outside. He kneeled to gather the books sprawled on the floor, shaking his head slightly.

"Oh, that is why they yelled." Sirius smiled. "Well done."

"I didn't- I didn't do it on purpose… It… was an accident."

The boy seemed to struggle more to reply than to smile graciously. Sirius frowned, scanning him as he took three of the books that had flown further. He looked rather ill and seemed to lack much sleep. Unfitting clothes highlighted his thin frame and the sight of his unpolished shoes would have made his mother scream at the top of her lungs.

"Do you need help getting them to the dorm?" He asked, doing his best to look genuine at his attempt to befriend. "Of course you do! You're too skinny to carry them all, which must be why they fell."

"I'll be fine." He quietly attempted to shake his hands off. "Thank you."

"Too late, Princess. I've got three of them and I'm either burning them or taking them to your dorm. Whichever you prefer."

* * *

We'll let Remus ponder over this dilemma and I'll see you tomorrow.

07/01/11


	2. First year 02: Weirdo

**First year: 1971-1972**

2/9

_Weirdo_

"Isn't he adorable?"

"What?"

"He's alone again."

Potter lazily straightened on his forearm to see whom he was talking about. He didn't look around for someone unaccompanied but directly for Lupin. It made him smile even though, of course, he wasn't obsessing over the shy boy. He just thought about him. A lot.

"I want to talk to him." He complained so Potter wouldn't fall back in his daydreams.

"Then go."

He lied back down, looking at the clouds thoughtlessly. Sirius remembered his mother telling him the Potters had become enamoured with muggles and everything he shouldn't think of equal. Truthfully, watching Potter struggle in Charms made him wonder if his mother wasn't right that one's mind would mush around dirty bloods.

Then again, Potter was fun.

Sirius liked fun.

"I don't want to bother him." He kicked Potter's shoe lightly. "But he's on his own, no one else caring about him. He must be lonesome. Doesn't that sound absolutely heartbreaking to you, Jimmie?"

Potter sighed. Anything to have a nap, he read on his face. "Right." He wasn't used to his endless energy yet, the poor soul. "I dare you to."

In all honesty, that had been all he had wanted to hear. He crossed the garden to the boy, smiling cordially to those who were already warming up to him.

"Hello princess!"

Lupin blushed before greeting back with a slight nod. Sirius kept his smile from becoming a grin at the interesting discovery: it wasn't as much shyness as it was a shove-off attitude. Very interesting.

"I'll tell you one thing: you should smile more." Sirius illustrated himself while sitting on the grass in front of him and attempted not to laugh as Lupin uncrossed his legs, ready to escape. "It's easy and makes people wonder what you are up to."

"… okay?"

The main reason of his curiosity, Sirius realised as he was studied inquisitively, was because the protective position didn't come the least from he being a Black.

It was something else. Something he could sense but not quite put a finger on yet. Something interesting, he hoped.

Plus, the second and nearly as important reason why he was interested, was that no one had looked off him before now. No one in the whole castle had been more interested in watching the grass grow than watching whatever he was doing or planning to do. None of the students _wanted_ to look off him in case he would do something and a blink of an eye elsewhere was enough to miss it.

Even those who kept saying he was a Black at heart and would betray the Gryffindor spirit in the end still excitedly watched him.

Lupin seemed to prefer the ants.

"Are you going to do it now or do I have to wait for the next century and ask your great-great-great-great-great-million-times-again-great children?"

"I'm sorry, I…?"

"The smile!"

Carefully, Lupin gave in a little smile.

"Good job, Princess. Shall we find out if you could make a complete sentence, now?"


	3. First year 03: Carring

**First year: 1971-1972**

3/9

_Carring_

"Always reading, heh, Remus."

He smiled as an answer to the gentle mockery. "Good morning James."

"Before you ask, Sirius is still sleeping."

Remus flushed and closed the book on his lap, realizing he wouldn't get peace. It was true anyway: he had been thinking about hiding when he had smelt James getting closer. However, he hadn't thought James would notice his hesitation. He should have been more careful. He should be more careful.

"You woke up earlier today. Something's bothering you?"

"It's kind of you to ask but no, I'm fine."

"Tsk, no lies between us, Remus."

He looked for an escape while smiling as reassuringly as he could after two mistakes within the same minute. It was six in the morning, too soon to say he should head to breakfast. His book clearly showed it was a story so he couldn't say he had needed to study.

He choose the easy way out. "You woke up earlier as well."

"Yep. Your fault. You couldn't just take the book on your night table, you had to go looking inside your bag and your trunk and by the time you got the one you wanted I was wild awake."

"Oh! I'm sorry, really. I tried to be as silent as I could – I'm so sorry. I won't-"

"No problem." James cut in his apology "I'm a light-sleeper in the morning." He scratched his head, smiling uneasily. At least the feeling was shared. "You slept well?"

Remus took a deep breath and smiled some more. "Yes, thank you. And you?"

"Best dream ever! They had accepted me in the Quidditch team. It was so cool! We were in the middle of the first match and everyone was chanting my name 'James, James, James! Shhhhsssss!'"

Perhaps could he try to have the answer of his recent nightmares with its main character's friend? James didn't seem the least dangerous - hah! How ironical it was for him to think that!

"James?"

"Yup?"

"What does Sirius want with me?"

"Err... nothing I know of. Why? Did he do something to you?"

"No, no, he's… nice."

Eccentric, pushy, scary, intriguing: yes. But _nice_? Nice didn't cover half of what he thought about the tornado Sirius created wherever he went. He had said _nice_. _Nice_. Who said nice anymore?

James was going to wonder how stupid he was, now.

He was stupid. Completely stupid.

He had said_ nice_!

"Well, he wants to be your friend." His what? Remus eyes opened widely. Could James repeat that? He wanted to be his what? "...not good with names." Lost in his surprise, Remus hadn't listened to the first part of the sentence. "He nicknames everyone. You know what he calls me?"

Jimmie, he remembered. It was true: Sirius did nickname everyone - even the professors! They didn't care much for he was truly gifted. They had tried, of course, to make him call them by their family name. After two and a half months, most of them had given up to his compelling smile.

"Sometimes I want to remind him it's just James but well, I'm not going to spoil his fun." Remus smiled back softly. James wasn't as bizarre as Sirius but he was still way more interesting than any other eleven-years-old here, himself included. "I can try to make him stop if you wish. Can't promise I'll success, though."

* * *

However, Professor McGonagall still tries to have him stop calling her Minnie.

She won't have much luck with that, mind you :p


	4. First year 04: Subsequently

**First year: 1971-1972**

4/9

_Subsequently_

Sirius could write a book on how to find Lupin. It was simple. If not the library: the Great Hall. Perhaps the Common Room, when there weren't classes and library time was up. Did he even know that there were other things in Hogwarts? Did he know there were other things in life?

There was studying and studying pointlessly too much. He had a good idea of Lupin's intelligence by now and knew that all the studying, far from trying to catch up with the (too) slow classes, was only to keep away from people.

Eight o' clock a Monday, he would still be eating breakfast.

He loved Mondays. Well, actually, Sirius loved every day of the week because every day was a day of discoveries and funs and one more day away from his family's illogic ideals. But Mondays were the best. The first day of the week: a new beginning - the beginning of yet another remarkable seven days.

"Hello there, Princess."

"Remus."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"My name-I... My name's Remus."

Sirius smiled in a friendly way, concealing his pride of getting a complete sentence so early in the morning and stole one of the toasts the boy had just buttered and jammed.

"I'm believing you on this one." He gulped down the glass of pumpkin juice Lupin had served himself. "Although you ought not to forget that I'm your knight."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Your knight." He repeated more slowly, careful not to get crumbles on his pants and trying to forget that everyone else wasn't as cautious. He had agreed to follow Potter's tips to blend in but there was a line. "Since those terrible Slytherins two months ago, I devoted myself to save you all life long."

"But I don't-I don't need to be"

"Don't be dumb. I'm doing this out of honour: it has been made my mission as a knight to make you smile at least once a day. My king wouldn't be too kind on me taking back my word."

"Who's the king?"

"Well, it could be Jimmie. In all honestly however, I don't want him to be my superior very much. That boy already has a head big like thaaaat. He frankly thinks he is better than me at Quidditch!" He paused, folding a napkin to wipe his mouth. "I'm going to challenge him. First year can't fly outside class hours but when nobody knows, nobody gets punished, isn't it? Jimmie deserves a good lesson. He might be good, yes, why not? Better than me, though? Not even if I had two broken legs and was sightless."

Lupin drummed on the table, then took another glass and filled it back with juice. He drank it at a snail's pace. Sirius concealed a smile in another bite of the toast.

"Why me?"

"No reason in particular." It might have been too soon to tell him the real one. He was waiting until the end of the month to be sure of his theory, too. "Until you accept to be my friend, I'll keep saving you each day." He smiled at his astonishment. "Isn't that brillant?"

"I-no! No!"

Sirius grinned at his upset face. "The more you fight it, the more I'll be insistent. Just so you know."


	5. First year 05: Evade

**First year: 1971-1972**

5/9

_Evade_

"No more immoral Slytherin bothering you?"

Sirius sat down on the chair. He might have five minutes before the librarian noticed him, Remus thought. She had a good hearing and despised him for what had happened early at the beginning of their school year (which included a big speech asking her much too straightforwardly if she was choosing rubbish books on purpose and if he could help her pick better).

"Haven't heard of them since." He smiled back.

"Jimmie, come meet my friend!"

The first shush came behind James.

"Hi, Remus." He said, much more quietly.

He nodded a greeting. He liked James all right and the two together were always fun to watch. Remus would have liked the show better outside the library, however. But there was no way he could say so: it would have been rude of him to push them away when they were good enough to talk to him at all. Besides, Sirius had been concerned about him without it having anything to do with his lycanthropy; which was so rare it was even better.

"Do you already know each other? I thought I'd get the privilege!" Sirius pouted, oddly managing to still smile while doing so.

"He eats at the same table, sleeps in the same dorm and has the same classes since the beginning of school year. Is your brain still on vacation?"

"I turn it off not to upset yours by showing all my supremacy in one time."

"Ri-ght." James conceded, seeming unconvinced. "Anyway, I hope he's not disturbing you."

"As if, Jimmie. Do I, Princess?"

"No, no you don't."

Remus reddened a little as he silently closed the book.

After the Christmas break they had spent away, he had thought it would have stopped. It hadn't. Sirius had came back to talk to him every day and would only leave when he had something else to do. He often had something else to do, mind you, but he came back. Every time.

Remus didn't get to talk to people often. He couldn't engage a conversation and they always thought he liked to be alone and let him be. It was rather nice when James woke up early enough that they could chat a bit in the common room. But truthfully, it was even nicer when Sirius went on and on about his great adventures.

"What are you reading?"

A second shush.

He hesitated a little before turning the book toward him. Once, Sirius had thrown his book away, almost through a window, saying it was rubbish. For starter, the book has been quite good. Plus he was certain Sirius had never read it because he always claimed the book he saw him read were rubbish.

"The working of streams through one's body." Sirius announced with theatrics. "Not as bad as the last one." He handed it back at his huge gratitude. "Aren't you starving Jimmie? I'm sure you are. Shall we find that kitchen the fourth year told us about?"

"Yeah, we shall... like right now!"

Upon stomping to the reading area, the librarian found him casually reading, alone and focused on the words. After a fond smile, she went back to her seat.

"See you later, Princess!" Sirius shouted, then running toward the exit just in time not to get caught.

Remus chuckled inaudibly. Crazy.


	6. First year 06:  Skill

**First year: 1971-1972**

6/9

_Skill_

"I'm looonely..."

Remus hid as well as he could behind his book, almost drawing in the chair.

The first had been awkward and... well, really awkward.

Sirius had hugged him when he hadn't expected to be (why would he have been expecting something like that in the first place anyway!) and was carrying his bag and books in his hands. His feet had hurt all day long with the weight they've been hit by. And the embrace had made him uncomfortable. Truly uncomfortable. The surprise added to the fact that his left-forearm had stayed painfully blocked for thirty seconds...

Remus didn't keep a very good memory of that first hug.

He had had more than his share of hugs with his parents before since they were touchy-feely people. But this was someone else than family. And Sirius didn't seem to know how to hug properly.

He remembered James showing him the good way after he had winced at the fifth. And James had hugged him. It had felt weird, indeed, but not uncomfortable. Then James had hugged Sirius, who had hugged him again.

Therefore the sixth time had been fine.

James had laughed and had given some more advice. One of them was practice. The other was to ask whenever he thought Remus wasn't enjoying the hug. Somehow, this became something entirely different for Sirius, who asked him to ask for hugs.

Despite not being friends with them, Remus knew there was nothing he could stutter that would prevail James' words. Nor the interpretation Sirius did of James' words.

"And a bit bored but mostly lonely..."

His attempts to hide were unsuccessful because Sirius always managed to find him to the point he had began to wonder if he didn't have any special abilities himself (then he would feel guilty because it was mean to think that). Then he had attempted to refuse the hugs: unsuccessfully. Sirius didn't take no for an answer, not from anyone and definitely not from him.

Which was why he had somehow accepted that any time Sirius would have nothing to do, anytime he would be reading happily, anytime he wouldn't expect it... Sirius would come around.

"Give me a hug?"

Remus hadn't cared about contact before. Sirius would touch his shoulders or arm when they talked (when he talked) and it was okay. It was the way every other normal students were interacting.

He wasn't normal.

And Sirius was completely mad.

"Because I need a princess' hug..."

This feeling was warm in his stomach, a bit like chocolate after a hard day. But it was also bitter and clutched to his guts as if saying that this wouldn't end well.

He was certain it wouldn't end well.

Because the hugs made him feel that he irrevocably wasn't a stranger to Sirius anymore.


	7. First year 07: Fit

**First year: 1971-1972**

7/9

_Fit_

"What's the matter?"

Remus sat next to the gloomy looking boy looking a lot like Sirius. Even though every line of his pout and how tense he was suggested it wasn't Sirius at all.

He lightly touched his shoulder.

"I'm fine." Sirius retorted violently.

"You sure?"

"Yes!" He brushed the fingers off and stood up to sag on the chair in the other side.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't… I'm sorry - I shouldn't have. I'll get James, okay?"

"Don't!" Sirius shouted at the suggestion. "I am totally and perfectly fine and I do not wish nor need to talk to anyone about what happened."

Remus put his feet on the couch and his chin to his knees. It was very different to see Sirius not smiling, for one. But to see him so miserable… he understood better why Sirius had proclaimed himself his knight. Apart from the fact that he was completely crazy, it felt wrong to be sad at Hogwarts.

It broke his heart.

Remus wasn't the sort of person who pushed through matters but he tried again. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened. Nothing happened because my mother didn't sent me a bloody letter about how I should change the way I act to conform to our family's principles instead of thinking for myself as she always taught me! And I do not care what she thinks is best because I can tell for myself… Merlin! I hate when she does that." He stared angrily at the fireplace before snapping again. "This did not happen and I do not feel anything toward it since it didn't happen. The letter does not even exist anymore and it doesn't matter to me that I'll have to go back there. It will not at all feel like being imprisoned."

"It will just be two months." He soothed.

"Two months." Sirius sarcastically repeated, making eye contact to emphasize the stupidity of his statement. "You have no idea what it is like to be a Black. The conventions are fine but the ideals aren't the least logical. And the monotony, Merlin, the monotony. Father has nothing intelligent he would say to me. Mother won't have the time for anything more than reproaches. Regulus might not even want to talk to me for fear of catching any of that Gryffindor attitude I seem to carry. He wouldn't even write to me this year. He might be upset I didn't manage to explain myself to him or most likely, plainly disappointed. They all are." He paused, blinked and the corner of his mouth twitched.

For the first time, Sirius looked down after eye contact. Remus wasn't an expert but knew from the wolf that this was a sign of losing a battle. Not a sign a Black, Sirius, was accustomed to.

He kept his eyes on him as the realization struck. He had never heard Sirius express himself in that placid tone. Sirius always was about explosions and screaming. Yet he was an aristocrat. He was a Black. He had been raised to speak like that, no matter how hard he attempted to conform to James, to the Gryffindors, to everyone.

"How did you do that?" Sirius asked, taking him out of his thoughts.

His voice was wary but had the tone of childish hesitation. For the first time, he noticed how borrowed it sounded in his mouth.

"What did I do?"

"Make me talk."

"I… don't know?"

"Great. Now forget what I said and don't ever say a word about it. I'm fine."


	8. First year 08:  Play

**First year: 1971-1972**

8/9

_Play_

To celebrate Easter and comfort those who couldn't go to Hogsmeade, Dumbledore had hidden sweets of all sorts in Hogwarts' huge garden.

Remus had made his way back to the dorm with more chocolate than he should eat. He would get sick. Yet he knew he would eat them anyway. He couldn't, wouldn't resist.

Curled up under his blanket, he popped one egg between his lips and let it melt until the flavour was everywhere in his mouth. It was the best thing on earth. Before books, before achieving a class's lesson, before knowing the full moon was gone for yet another month... Before all that and more.

He wanted to blame the headmaster but all he could do was praise the man. Such a good idea and such, such very good chocolate.

Remus felt guiltily delighted as he ate pieces of a bunny on and on. He had looked for chocolate, letting everything else where it were and when his large bag had been too full, he had smiled sheepishly and had came back to the dorm. He might have taken more than the other would ever find with their human senses. Then again, he could forgive himself because it was chocolate.

Chocolate. Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.

"I should seal her up in the punishment room. Then I'll cast a Memory charm on everyone. Great idea. I would never have to see her stupid face ever again."

"... Sirius?" He called. He hoped the way he had opened the door was enough for an average hearing because it was the mumbling that had startled him.

"Oh-good morning." Sirius smiled a little. "Hello, princess."

"What happened?"

Sirius sighed heavily. Remus grimaced, knowing he had done it again.

"My cousin hexed me and stole my sweets." Sirius glared to nowhere. "She waited until I had my guard down and casted a spell from behind me. Doesn't it sound unfair to you? I wanted those."

However, Sirius didn't seem as upset as the first times now. He only sighed and accepted to share what was bothering him. Sometimes. Sometimes he ran far away, by means Remus had no knowledge about and disappeared until the next meal where he came back so merry he wondered if he had really seen him upset before.

"Do you-do you want some of mine?"

Sirius walked to his bed and Remus lifted the blanket to show all the sweets he had collected.

"Were you planning to live on chocolate for the rest of the year?" Sirius chuckled at his uncomfortable expression and sat on the bed next to him. "Are you certain I can have some?"

"Yes... I'll be sick if I eat them all by myself."

"And we don't want the princess sicker that he already gets."

Remus' next chocolate was bitter.

* * *

It's called dark chocolate, dummy.


	9. First year 09:  Maybe

**First year: 1971-1972**

9/9

_Maybe_

It was the last week of the year. And it was still hard to believe when Sirius started chatting about random things.

He wouldn't converse at breakfast because they didn't take it at the same time since he woke up too early. Neither in classes: they hadn't sat next to each other at the beginning and couldn't change places now (not that Sirius hadn't tried to both talk to him across the room and add a chair on the corner of his desk). But at lunch, in the common room if he wasn't scouting and before going to sleep, he would. He would come to him, smiling. He would sit or lie down. And he would talk.

Sirius talked a lot. He could go half an hour without any more feedback than muttered yes and no's.

He talked about the spells they learned, the potions they made, James, what they had discovered in the castle, what they ate or would eat, commenting on people or objects, asking Remus questions about what he had been doing and pulling a face each time he told him the title of the last book he was reading...

From time to time, Remus also went to him. He didn't like seeing him brood and knew how fast he was smiling back. Sirius just needed to get things off his chest, sometimes, even though he kept saying he didn't. He would ask what was wrong and Sirius would just… tell bits of it, little stories of what was going on in that big head of his.

Remus loved to be the one he talked to when he needed to. He liked to be there and he liked to listen to his darker voice. He liked to know Sirius wasn't just smiles and sunshine either. It was a bit stupid, maybe, certainly. He couldn't help himself: Sirius was too special, too interesting not to want to listen to him.

He didn't whine about his family per se. He just confessed he hated some of the things they did. Remus was sure no one else had seen his eyes almost close with revulsion, he was absolutely certain no one heard him speak with this measured, resentful voice. He was always surprised when Sirius switched back to being foolish.

It was as a snap of finger in front of his face when he was daydreaming they were being close.

Remus was a pessimistic, had always been since he had been bitten. He was waiting for him to understand he wasn't someone he wanted to speak to. He couldn't bring himself to push him away but was sure he would himself with time. He wasn't funny enough or talkative enough or extraordinary enough or anything enough. He had a monster inside him - he _was_ a monster. If he was allowed to be in Hogwarts, he remained a horrible creature that could kill and hurt and, worse, make people into what he was.

Dumbledore was just an imprudent, too kind old man.

There was no way Sirius would maintain the relationship – the somewhat _friend_ship - they had if he knew about that.

* * *

Happy ending, isn't it? Well, second year is on its way to cheer up the mood. I have some troubles deciding about something, however. Do I continue the second year in Princess or do I create a second story to be the follow-up?

Give me your thoughts, it'll really help!

15/01/11


	10. Second year 01: Configuration

Hi there! Thanks to everyone who gave me advices on how to proceed with second year. All of you agree that I should continue in the same story. So here it is! Enjoy!

**Second year: 1972-1973**

1/9

_Configuration_

Remus loved to read. He did, really.

A book could take him away from the noise, the people, the worries, his secret - everything.

That was why he didn't appreciate to still be at the same paragraph, reading over and over without understanding what was going on between the characters. The noise, the people, his secret - nothing would go away. Especially not what was worrying him.

Who was worrying him.

Sirius Black.

He had said they would keep contact through letters during the holidays and they hadn't. Remus still didn't know whether or not he would have had the courage to answer back but it didn't matter. He hadn't received any. He hadn't waited for one from James and he hadn't been disappointed not to have one. But he had waited for Sirius'.

He had thought the worse. Then he had thought the worse of the worse, both numerous times. Yet he had seen him on the quay, healthy and as lively as he remembered him.

Remus had came to the conclusion that he had said the same thing to all his acquaintances and had forgotten about him because he had been too busy and he really wasn't as mind-marking as anyone else, let alone James whom he had excitedly been talking to when he had seen him.

If he had thought about saying hello, about asking how were his holidays, about telling him he had worried, about telling him he had got bored without his great tales, Remus instead rushed to a free wagon. He furiously took a book out of his luggage, sat down like it was the fault of the seat and read.

That was two hours ago. Same place. Same page. The difference was that other students had surrounded him after a moment on his own. They were playing cards and talking loudly about Quidditch. Remus wouldn't have minded if he had been focused on his book. But he wasn't focused on his book. He couldn't focus on his book.

Because of Sirius.

"Hello there everyone!" The door flew open on an overly happy Sirius. Remus put his feet on the wall seat and his book up on his knees. He hadn't _asked_ for that, had he?

Not that Sirius had come for him. Perhaps he wouldn't even talk to him. There was a great chance he didn't remember him, too.

"Hey there, crazy boy!"

"I missed you too, Matty." He heard him embrace the teen. "Are you ready to spend all the year studying for an easy exam?"

"And are you ready to finally learn to do something more useful than little sparkles with your wand?"

"I can make you _cry_ with my wand." Sirius laughed madly and everyone along with him.

He then had a small chat with them about random topics and glanced numerous times at his book. Eventually, he came up to him and looked behind the manual.

"You!" He shouted, startling everyone. "I wasted two hours of my inestimable time on you!" He pointed a reproaching finger to his shocked face. "I had to get rid of my stupid brother and then I couldn't even eat Jimmy's candies! I had to open doors and doors and doors and doors and DOORS again to find you in the last wagon! And _all that_ because of your tendency to hid from my marvellous self!"

Sirius shook his head as he took Remus' sleeve and dragged him out.

"I am saving you from boredom and rubbish books!"

* * *

I'll see you tomorrow for the next chap, won't I? :D

21/01/11


	11. Second year 02: Reporter

**Second year: 1972-1973**

2/9

_Reporter_

According to Sirius, the first time would be as nearly-impossible as digging into hard-rock with a spoon. The second will be easier. The third, effortless. The fourth? Cutting into melted butter. The fifth would come by itself. The sixth would even take him by surprise! And the seventh, of course, would be out of habit.

At least he hoped.

And if Sirius wasn't persistent enough, Potter had taught him to be optimism just about anything and everything.

"Err..."

He was certain Lupin wouldn't take it much longer and his smile grew wilder. It was going according to plan. Perhaps not the fact that he was in much need of a good shower after their first Quidditch training of the year, but everything else.

"I..."

He was getting some weird looks by the other students passing by. Some waved at him, some laughed as if he was going to do a good joke that explained why he was sitting cross legged in the middle of the common room. Truth be told, he was just staring uncomfortably at Remus Lupin. After a while, the poor soul had had no choice than to acknowledge his presence.

"You..."

Sirius coaxed in his mind. It was the third week and he was persuaded they could have a discussion started by him. No need to wait four months this time. Lupin could do it! Would do it! He wasn't leaving his spot until then. He was determined. Very determined. James and he had a bet going on about it and he had his family's honour to maintain.

"You cut your hair."

Since it was the result of a long inner struggle, Sirius held back the joke about them having fallen by themselves. He also judged the joke cheap. Even Potter wouldn't have smiled to that.

"My mother did. She reckoned I looked like a beggar when I came home and then she pestered me all summer about it. " He pouted a little as he cursed his mother some more.

"Well... I don't...think you did."

"Me neither! She cut them in my sleep. Stupid woman."

His hair weren't that short anymore but it still infuriated him that she had done it without his agreement. Not that she ever asked if he consented to whatever she did: she barely informed him if he needed prep time. Blacks were always ready, she said, for whatever the occasion.

"Huh..." Oh-oh, Sirius thought as his soft hesitation put him back on earth, obstacle coming. "She shouldn't have done that. It's your hair."

He smiled happily. Not only Lupin had kept the discussion up but he had also stood for him! Sirius was so proud of him.

"Isn't it? I'm going to let them grow until they reach my feet just to drive her mad!"

* * *

And there you go, Remus growing some! Of course his free will here is very debatable but Sirius doesn't care, he got him to talk first and that's all that matters to him :p

Thanks to TimeToWriteIsHistory for her advice to put an author's note to clear up what is going on in Sirius crazy head!


	12. Second year 03: Data

**Second year: 1972-1973**

3/9

_Data_

"That was impolite, though, Sirius."

Sirius looked up to him and frowned. They had been sitting there for what felt like hours and James could see the wonder on his face as he went back through the day to find what he could have possibly done that was out of bondaries.

Hogwarts was, factually speaking, the best place on earth. Every single rule could be bended in a complete legal fashion if done with a bit of brains. And frankly, they had plenty of that to spare.

Nevertheless, Sirius, used to being a Black, had the tendency to cross the line of legality and courtesy. By now James knew his role was to hold him back when something would have got them in too much trouble (not with Hogwarts per se but rather with the Aurors). He was rather proud of his position, actually. Sirius was the cleverest bloke he had ever met and managed classes with too much facility. Therefore it was nice, for once, to be the one with the knowledge. James sometimes even let a hint of condescendance in his voice when he explained social interaction procedures to him (or why they couldn't lock people into dark rooms simply because Sirius thought they were idiots).

"You didn't offer him any of your sweets this morning." He clarified. "And last time you ate candies just before him, too."

"Who are we talking about?"

"Remus."

Sirius stopped frowning altogether and the smile at the corner of his lips widened into a soft, full, one. At first it had been a bit upsetting how fond he was of the boy. Remus wasn't much of anything but silent. James had had to spend a lot of mornings with him to begin to see what was so interesting, and some more to name it. Now he could see that mysterious, wiser than thou, intriguing aura of his. There were a whole world behind his innocent attitude. A lot like there was a whole world behind Sirius' antics.

For laugh then, he had called Remus a princess, too. He hadn't done it twice after Sirius' glare. That was one thing he still had troubles dealing with in their friendship: Blacks didn't share. He could take the retreating-to-think-don't-bother-me thing, the scouting without him (where? Sirius would never say), the much better grades without listening to a class or opening a book, the constant nagging not to talk with a mouthful and the "please, _please_, don't wear such or such colour with such or such colour". But the whole not-sharing concept was something he would still try to get him out of.

Sirius was even jealous with him! If he spent too much time with someone else, Sirius would ask for longer scouting, for more daring jokes, for a lot more of attention. James had attempted, of course, to tell him friends weren't personal object of entertainment. But Sirius wouldn't listen. And had sulked until he had told him whomever he had been speaking to wasn't as interesting anyway.

At the time he had called Remus a princess, Remus had had to say he minded it when it was James calling him that. James was sure that in the end, he had said nothing to Sirius about him calling him that way. Or if he had said something it hadn't worked and he didn't mind much now.

"He doesn't like candies."

"… doesn't he?"

"Why, yes. He only likes chocolate. Why would I suggest him anything else?"

James smirked knowingly. "All right. Sorry mate."

He let the silence fell, watching his friend frown until he had a wrinkle on his nose. Sirius did that when something was unpleasant. The thought of having offended Remus seemed very unpleasant. James refrained his laugh and counted down: three, two, one…. Still silent. He didn't gave up. Going back to five, four…

"Do you reckon he might be cross?"

Here you go.

"Remus doesn't _get_ cross – ever."

James could predict his movements now. How he had gotten up with that sulk of his, the sulk that read 'I didn't make a mistake, did I?'. How he went to the lake, pacing on the shore a moment before coming back to him.

"Are you certain?"

"Well, we haven't seen him get upset and you've been bugging him nonstop."

"I am not bugging him." James rolled his eyes. Sirius repeated the gesture in mockery. "I'll see you later."

They had really bonded and everyone thought it was impossible to get one without the other. But when Sirius had explained how he sometimes needed some time off the world, James had understood. Sometimes he too, needed time off. Time off Sirius's endless energy and careless attitude, time off having to be brillant in everything he said and funny in his every action.

Hence why he didn't mind him walking fast to Remus.

* * *

Mind you, Sirius doesn't care if Remus is doing something very important when he takes his time off. Because Remus takes his time off when he does, period.

Yes, he has some lessons to take in "other person's opinion might be important", too. But James already has a lot to do! :p


	13. Second year 04: Fired

**Second year: 1972-1973**

4/9

_Fired_

Peter caught him before he hit the ground. However, his initial idea to lift him back up didn't work and they both ended up on the floor. He glanced around, relieved not to find anyone. It would have been embarrassing to answer why he hadn't been able to stop scrawny Remus from a fall (because he was shamefully scrawnier) or why Remus had fallen in the first place (a very secret secret).

"You all right?" He called. "Remus?" He groaned a little as he noticed how hard his coccyx had hit the ground. At least he had been his cushion – a hard floor wouldn't have done any good to the boy. "You shouldn't be here." The standard rest for them was five days on good moons. "Why did they let you out? What am I supposed to do? Remus? Remus?"

He had noticed Remus would only rest for the day before and the two days after. As it was now proved, it wasn't a healthy alternative. Remus took a while more before he stopped wincing and accepted his hand to get up.

"I'm… I'm fine."

"Hah!" Peter mocked at his murmur. "You look like it'll be in two hours rather than two days ago. You should go back to the infirmary, shouldn't you?"

This time he didn't manage to soften his fall. Remus' eyes went wide and he backed away from him, not even trying to stand up again.

"What did you say!"

"I know." Peter clarified as he helped him up again. He also reached for him for the cane on the ground. "About, well, you know. And you look awful."

He should walk Remus back to the infirmary. When he could still walk. There were no way he was going to be able to carry him there. He knew he should have listened to his father and done some sports. However he had never and his arms were nothing but limp.

Peter put a hand under his arm in case he needed a cushion again and tried to smile reassuringly at his out-of-breath panic.

"How? Did you…did you tell anyone? Please don't! I'm not a monster! Professor Dumbledore knows and he let me and I haven't killed anyone! And I won't! I promise I won't! I'm not a monster! Please!"

"I _know_!" He yelled above his squeals. "Nursery! All right?"

Remus stared at him all the way there. Peter knew for a fact that he was the only student who knew. The others wouldn't have been as compassionate. The others would have said he was a monster.

He hadn't wanted to scare him, and he awkwardly smiled as warmly as he could.

Once the nurse had checked on him, Remus pleaded him to come to his bed and elaborate what he had said. Luckily, after having heard the family story of his nice uncle being killed because he had been bitten, Remus seemed to breath better. And had stopped piercing his ears with pleas, too.

"You don't…care?"

Peter laughed, more relaxed now that they were clear. "I actually have a lot of questions… but well, I thought it wouldn't be something you'd like to talk about so... well, you know."

"Honestly, you're only the second person who wants to know anything about it."

He smiled sheepishly as he took a notepad out of his bag. "Are you sure it doesn't bother you?"

Remus scratched his head apprehensively while he opened the first page of questions, reading through the four others in case one was better than the other to ask first.

"So… can you really hear people fart?"

* * *

Very classy, I know. It bothered ever since the first fic I read with enhanced abilities...

Welcome to my world! :p

25/01/11


	14. Second year 05: Nun

**Second year: 1972-1973**

5/9

_Nun_

"I am so bored. Bored, bored, bored, bored!" Sirius fell tragically, landing on the floor in front of his seat with grace nonetheless. "I'm dying of boredom." He pursued, going back to his big theatrical gestures. "I'm bored, princess. _Bored_, I say. Bored to death." He straightened up to lean his head on the chair and looked up at him. "If I die, I give all my belongings to you. Don't share with Jimmie; he's already wealthy enough for his great-great-great-great-great-great grand children…Merlin! I'm bored again."

Remus chewed on his lip a second. Should he…? The anticipation made his heart speed up and his hands sweaty. Would he dare? Perhaps it wouldn't entertain him as much as it did him. Perhaps Sirius wouldn't like it at all.

"Do you want to go somewhere fun?" Sirius looked a little startled by the excitement in his eyes. "Do you want to go somewhere really, really, fun?"

Once inside the room he had leaded him in, Sirius didn't seem bored anymore. Actually, he looked genuinely curious as he looked around the average Hogwart's class room. Remus took it for a quiet coaxing. After closing the door, he put his hand on the painting at its side. It was a simple wood-looking circle shape, the exact same thing that appeared on the ground instead of the chairs and desks when he turned back.

Sirius had his wand in his hand as he stepped on the large round board and gestured for him to do so. When they got to the middle, Remus chuckled at his confused expression. Sirius loved to know better than anyone and to this day, he hadn't showed any sign that he knew less than he did (to be honest, Remus was getting quite certain than Sirius knew much more than he did). Right now however, Sirius had his eyes opened wild, scrutinizing his actions and testing the new floor with little jumps.

"Say whirligig."

"Say what?"

Remus laughed again. "Whirligig." He repeated. "Whirligig, whirligig, whirligig."

A very James-like "blimey" came out of Sirius' mouth instead of the word whilst the piece of wood began spinning, faster and faster each time Remus spoke the word. It took him one more moment before he said it as well. After a short while, Remus was always countering his word for "slower", although when he was laughing too much to speak, Sirius slowed it himself so they could catch their breath.

Sirius wasn't bored anymore and even, he looked at him differently. As if he was impressed of his room. He took much more pride and much less hesitation to show him the adjacent room, an ancient astronomy class. Instead of the open windows, the walls were covered with the whole universe. Remus, still grinning, asked him to sit as he moved his wand on the wall to make the part of the sky he wanted to show him apparent.

"That's Orion's belt…" He pointed to the stars, coming to sit next to him. "and just there, that's Canis Major. Its brightest star – do you see it? It's yours. Well, it's called Sirius." He turned to look at him, his smile as big as it has been for the last hour. "I always think of you when I see it."

"It means we're friends, doesn't it?"

Remus tensed up a little, looking away and straightening up, sitting cross-legged. If Lily had wanted to be his friend upon discovering he was a werewolf (well, that was a bit crazy but it counted, didn't it?) If Peter hadn't been afraid of him being a monster…

Maybe, maybe there was a tiny chance Sirius wouldn't either. The thought had crept inside him, had been bugging him for days now.

He had confessed to the headmaster that two people knew and the man had taken the news with joy and satisfaction. He had said that Remus should have friends – that not everybody was afraid of werewolves and that he should lighten up and take advantage of what he had. It was what his parents had been repetitively telling him. What Peter had agreed with afterward. What Lily tried to beat into him as well.

So…

Perhaps…

"If you promise to never anger the librarian ever again…"

"I promise!" Sirius jumped up, pulling him into a hug. "Now I'm going to teach you how to live!"

* * *

And we're back to a chapter a day, my bad for the two last days!

27/01/11


	15. Second year 06: Party

**Second year: 1972-1973**

6/9

_Party_

James told Sirius everything. Sirius told him everything. It had been like that since the beginning. Remus had stressfully promised him he wouldn't tell anything when James had found out he already knew the anecdotes he was telling him about. James had seemed convinced and not bothered.

Remus had been glad. It was another problem that had rose.

"How went the trip?"

James had started to think that these indirect confessions had made them direct friends.

Remus had argued (a little) but Sirius had asked to see the rulebook in which all they had found was that "before third years, the students are not allowed to go at Hogsmeade during the planned weekends". When he had pointed out that it wasn't a weekend planned so they could go, Remus had only grinned along.

He knew he should have fought more. He should have fought more then, and every other time Sirius had showed him places of Hogwarts he was fairly certain they had right to be in. Only not at night without a teacher. Nevertheless, Sirius always laughed his worry away, always told him it would be fine and always dragged him to another edgy discovery.

"That cool, aye?"

With a chuckle, he noticed how much his still grinning face must have let James know.

It had been funnier than anything he had done in his life: Sirius's own madness plus crazy shops equaled an afternoon crying from laughter.

Sirius was already overexcited in the castle but outside, he was simply mad. They had run around so much that they had had to take a break and snack to power up again. Sirius had insisted that they ate candies in their sandwiches and had paid for everything, including chocolate and butter beers. He still didn't take "no" for an answer and only stopped to annoy him when they couldn't breath anymore.

"We'll go back next week. Our first group scout!"

Remus lost his smile at his words.

He had a small hope that they'd be like Peter. Or most likely in Sirius' case, crazy like Lily. He didn't mind talking about his lycanthropy as long as he didn't receive hateful glares in return. He always crossed his fingers when Sirius looked at him with a smile when he said he had to go for some days. He crossed his fingers that he would say something this time, something crazy among the lines of "have a nice moon princess".

He felt like he purposely was setting himself up by dropping clues here and there. He couldn't help himself. He wanted him to know as much as he wanted him never to discover it.

He feared that if he did, he'd tell his parents who would then contact Dumbledore and make him leave. He knew the old man was kind but he couldn't go against an aristocrat family with such fame as the Black, could he?

Then again, he wanted nothing more than him to know and to accept it. He wanted him to be his friend, to be there and to make his life that much fun every day.

James, too. James and his grimaces, their connivance glances when they talked about something Sirius had suggested that they could never do in this life without getting grounded for life (or imprisoned. Or killed. He was sure Sirius must have thought he couldn't get killed.)

"Remus?"

Lily would hit him if she knew he was thinking of refusing an offered hand. She was really serious when it came to friendship. Her intransigence had made him give in being her friend, then Peter's and now Sirius'.

He had no regrets.

None.

"It'd be nice."

James gleamed all the way through breakfast.


	16. Second year 07: Zero

**Second year: 1972-1973**

7/9

_Zero_

For a fortnight after three of their group scout, they didn't talk to him.

Remus didn't know what he had done. He had no idea of what he should do. He was simply lost. They weren't eating together anymore and because he hadn't sat next to them at the beginning of the year, they couldn't talk to each other in class. Plus, they would go right after the bell so it wasn't a point to talk to them between classes either.

He had always seen James and Sirius as best friends who didn't need anyone but each other. He had often felt like the third wheel when he stood next to them. He liked better to talk to one or the other alone, because he could actually say a word or two instead of listening to their conversations.

It used to happen fairly often: James woke up earlier than Sirius, Sirius slept later than James. Mornings were discussion with James, evenings with Sirius. They were complementary and he had allowed him to secretly think he could fit in. He had even thought he should maybe sit them down and spill out everything, be down with it. He had stupidly, so very stupidly, began thinking it might not be such a big deal to them.

He would never fit in. He had been right to hesitate. He had been right not to say a thing.

Not to be anymore bothersome, Remus stayed in his bed in the morning and would close the curtains right after he was back from diner. He held back his desire to gather his courage and start a conversation, chanting to himself that it was the stupidest idea he could have.

Maybe he shouldn't. James didn't look at him anymore, sure. But Sirius still smiled and waved him hello when their eyes locked. He just wouldn't come and chat like he had done the last year and a half - almost two years! Well, it was better than what could have happen if he had known his secret, wasn't it? Did he want him to glare and insult him? He would feel ten time worse then.

He went back to spending all his free time (and he didn't remember there was so many of it) in the library. Occasionally, he would be with Lily or Peter. Peter had finally come to an end with his questions so they'd play chess or cards and it was nice. Lily would want his help to catch up her work since she was always much more attentive to gossip about older years than the actual classes. He liked spending time with her going back through his lessons while keeping her company. It was very nice.

But it wasn't falling to the ground because he was laughing too hard to remember how to stand up. It wasn't making silly face to each other to see who would get caught not looking focused when the teacher would look back. There was no snow hitting the back of his head, no hug before Sirius left his bed for his own, no feeling that everything was possible, was within reach.

"Hello there moonshine."

Remus jumped with fright at the voice next to his ear. He had been too much into his book and too desperate to wait for someone to care to keep an ear open, and since he was testing a new spell, he hadn't smelled him coming either. Sirius laughed that crazy laugh of his, the laugh of a good joke done, and sat on the chair.

He nodded apprehensively a greeting, frowning, cringing at Sirius' last word. Why had he said something about the moon? Merlin, _why did he say something about the moon!_

"We need to talk."

"Do we?" His voice cracked.

"I believe so." Sirius looked really solemn and Remus' warning alarm rose to a level never reached before. "I'm pregnant." A pause. "And you're the father." Another pause. "It's a dragon!" Sirius grinned. "Wait," He mused. "no, it might be a wolf after all."


	17. Second year 08: Open

**Second year: 1972-1973**

8/9

_Open_

His surprise at Sirius' statement echoed through the whole room.

"Out of the library, Black!"

"Right away, miss." He smiled angelically at the woman whom went back to her desk after another hateful glare. "Come with me, princess."

Remus put the books back on their shelves and gathered his school stuff. Sirius only came in the library when he was looking for him and those times, they had to leave the place within minutes because of how loud he was. For that reason, his body moved mechanically and followed Sirius' way outside. It was only when he had a foot on the corridor that his brain started working again, hysterically screaming to run away, to hide and to never come out again.

Moonshine? Sunshine, Moonshine. Moon. Oh Merlin he was so expelled, or dead, or both. Why was he still here? Why hadn't he run yet?

"Did you tell him?"

James smiled at him and nodded hello. He was leaning against the balustrade with Peter. Merlin, what did they want and… Had Peter told them? He had made him promise! He had made him sworn on his wizard's honor and also on Gryffindor's honor, which was very important (to James anyway).

"Tell him what?" James gave Sirius a pointed look – a very pointed one, to him. "Oh, that. No, I didn't have much time, we've been thrown out. I've been. So we've been. You know how it works. That woman, really. Can't she find someone else to bother? It's not like I've burned a book this year yet, is it? There might be this one which is a little torn up but it wasn't much. Besides, it looks better now. Gives it a little oldish look. Her books are better when they look old. It makes more people not want to touch them. Would you touch a book from the library? I mean, even new looking ones. I reckon you shouldn't, they're rubbish. Complete, utter rubbish. I would kno-"

"Sirius, back to topic."

James literally pointed to him this time. Never mind that for once, Remus really didn't care that Sirius went off topic so fast and so ridiculously easily.

"My bad." He smiled apologetically. "We need to talk." He said gravely, again. Then smiled sheepishly. "I only learned that part of the speech, actually. But I know the keywords!" He grinned as James hit his forehead. "Here I go, listen up princess: secret, discovered, friends, don't mind, Pete, Headmaster and, last but not least, chocolate in the dorm." He winked at him, then turned back to James. "I got it right, didn't I Jimmie?"

Maybe his brain would function normally if they pushed him from the highest tower.

Well, after he had stopped crying.


	18. Second year 09: Done

**Second year: 1972-1973**

9/9

_Done_

Once again, Easter had been prolific. Once again, Remus was curled up under a cover. Once again guiltily eating one by one his chocolates.

Bless the headmaster. Bless him and the chocolate factories. It tasted even better than last year. Oh and bless Sirius, James and Peter, bless them all.

He stretched his hurting leg. He'll be able to walk tomorrow, he guessed. He was still exhausted but healthier than he had been in the morning. And he was able to keep in chocolate, his tummy wholly agreeing with the taste, the wolf part of his digestive system locked up for another three weeks.

Pomfrey had been inflexible about them coming in, though. She had taken the bag they wanted to give him and shushed them away. It didn't really annoy him. He knew he must have been looking horribly wounded, still. The cream she had put on his face and arms was only starting to resorb.

Of course, Sirius being Sirius, he had managed to come in for a few minutes. He hadn't even budge upon seeing him. He had hugged him how he could and had started chatting him about the last hours when Pomfresh found out he had got in. He had agreed to get out after stealing one of the chocolate from him, yelling that he should get out quick if he wanted it back.

Madam Pomfrey sighed at the mess it had caused to get Sirius out of here. "This boy will be the death of me."

She was still smiling.

Remus thought it was the same reaction everyone had about Sirius. They were exasperated by him and in the same time they couldn't help but find him irresistible. He was as chaos prone as he was brilliant and all the professors sighed about it. Without him Hogwarts would simply not be the same. There would be no screaming, no explosions, no great tales to busy him in classes and no adventures to keep him from the slightest boredom.

He had asked James if Sirius ever was less than eccentric with him only to learn he was the only one who had ever seen him sad. It was a secret he kept dearly. Next to the absentminded confession of yesterday morning when Sirius had said he had had doubts about his lycanthropy but hadn't seen "the point of bringing it up". It was the kind of things that made him wonder, rightfully, if his craziness wasn't down right madness but Sirius had been serious, then. To him, there was no discussions to be had about his safety or his own. To him they were friends, period.

"You have to rest until tonight." Madam Pomfrey interrupted his thoughts. "Here." She ordered, handing over a sleeping potion. "Let yourself recover."

As he drunk it quietly, Remus fondly remembered the hours before the full moon. He had been ready to leave for the infirmary when they hugged him one after the other. James had wished him a good night, Peter had smiled weakly, uncomfortable knowing the danger of his transformation, the pain he had told him about. And Sirius had asked if he didn't want red meat to play with.

So… maybe it was time he accepted it.

The little werewolf had friends.

Remus John Lupin had friends.

He had friends.

* * *

End of second year, 1/02/2011.

My bad about yesterday! Start of third year tomorrow, though, promise!


	19. Third year 01: Fishnet

**Third year: 1973-1974**

1/17

_Fishnet_

"Be on the quay early, check. Get rid of little brother, check. Find Jimmie and Pete, check. Track down the princess: ongoing mission." Sirius announced. "I bet he is in the last wagon." He shook his head as they finished putting their bags inside. "I, Sirius Black, shall bring our princess back where he belongs." He declared and then exited.

They were talking about the uprising Quidditch team who had won over the last national tournament in London and how the war seemed much further with the only fact of being in the train to Hogwarts when the door opened back again with great force.

"I wanted to get the first detention!" James exclaimed to his panting ex-best friend. "You said you'd let me have it!"

Remus closed the door firmly and exchanged a look with Sirius before laughing.

"What happened?" Peter asked while James pouted, gesturing the free seat next to him for Remus.

"Well…" Sirius began, staying against the door, surely to make sure it stayed close in case they found their wagon and (most likely) to stay in spotlight. "I don't know where it went wrong, actually. Would you reckon I often am misunderstood?" James rolled his eyes. "Yes, exactly. It started with Matty eye-rolling at me, then there was the first year head that almost got smashed because the Slytherin couldn't get out of the train by the window - oddly enough because the windows' big and he wasn't much fat himself; and the child's head was stuck under, you see. After that I remembered that we had to buy sweets and since the sweet seller told my princess he looked skinny - which you don't, princess, really, you look great, maybe a bit worn out, because well, we all know why, but you don't look skinny, you look great, I swear. Anyway, she said that to him, then he blushed then I wondered why she never told me anything at all then she blushed then I brought sweets with the money I've stolen from you, Jimmie. Then… Well, I guess the Slytherin managed to get out of the window or his friends weren't under the bubble spell anymore or one of the first years is a future Slytherin that helped, I'm not completely certain but we got chased down the train from the last wagon to here. And Merlin, that was funny."

Walking toward the last free seat, he winked to Remus who smiled back.

"My head is hurting from getting all the story right." Peter stated in the silence.

James turned to him, frowning. "Mine too."

"You just don't get the amount of brilliantness coming out of my mouth. They don't, do they?"

James rolled his eyes again, continuing Sirius' list in his head.

First to make Remus laugh, check. And smile, billions times checked.

* * *

2/02/11

Third year has more chapters than the previous, even though that first one is tiny! I'll see you tomorrow for the next :)


	20. Third year 02: Reliance

**Third year: 1973-1974**

2/17

_Reliance_

"Oh, no. No. No. No. You are _not_ working on the first day of classes!" Sirius exclaimed while entering the dorm and seeing him into a book after a whole day just remembering what they had learned before. "I cannot accept it."

"I'm just looking over some stuff... I couldn't remember when she talked about the plush-into-pet."

"It's because it doesn't exist." Sirius sighed exasperatedly. "This teacher knows as much about potions as a first year muggle born would."

"How would you know?"

He smiled. "I know."

Remus closed his book. He couldn't help believing him. He would have remembered, otherwise. He had already asked Lily and she had had no clue about it either. If both of them through it was improbable and then Sirius approved…it was most likely true. He hadn't heard Sirius being wrong on a class matter in the last two years. Two years already! Two years tiptoeing on the edge of friendship... And this year, their third (already!) at Hogwarts, would be the first full one as friends.

It might have been all in his head but already, three days in, it seemed like they were spending more time together. As if telling them about his lycanthropy had brought them all closer. James came back to him more often to drag him wherever they were going. Peter seemed to like their scouting too, and at least, someone else was laughing out of the blue just remembering something silly they had done. At least he wasn't the only one getting those "... all right ?..." kind of looks anymore. Well, at least Peter was bothered by those looks, too. Sirius and James didn't care for those at all.

To some degree, even though Sirius didn't seem to think his lycanthropy was a big deal, he would have said they were closer as well. It wasn't about how much time they spent together or Sirius sitting next to him in Transfiguration and Charms and Defense (and it would have been Botanic, too, if Lily hadn't looked murderous). Remus wasn't sure it would make sense to anyone but him, but he simply thought that Sirius "talked" less and "conversed" more with him. Perhaps it could have been because they would all be fourteen next year and they were getting more mature?

Not that Sirius was any less crazy.

"I've got chocolate and a story to tell you." Sirius proved him right, hoping on his bed. "It is somewhat the most marvellous story of all time but mostly a very pointless one - unless, of course, you know the scheme. Then it has a whole different, much more profund, meaning." He smiled in connivance. "What you need to know is that this story is just the beginning of a bigger one. You have to remember that all through. It will unfold in various, numerous forms."

"Where is the chocolate?" He questioned.

"Let's get to it! It started on a rainy afternoon and"

"Erm... the chocolate?" He called again, knowing very well Sirius would go on and on if he didn't stop him now. "Where is it? I can't smell it on you."

"It's downstairs with Jimmie." He absentmindedly declared. "Wait a minute! When did you get confident enough to cut me off?"

The surprised silence said for him that he hadn't even noticed he had been way more audacious than he would have last year. Maybe it wasn't a good idea at all, because he still was a monster and he still was way too much lucky having them talking to him.

It wasn't a good idea.

Their friendship, Sirius', was too precious to mess with.

Too precious to risk.

"Sorry." He whispered.

Sirius chuckled at his uncomfortable expression. "Don't be. My bad, really. I didn't see it coming from the mist we call future. I should have listened to Jimmie's tells about his divination class. He might have foretold it in tea leaves. Or one of those foggy balls of fogs and myths. Cards, perhaps? Oooooh... I see it now! Your subconscious is unconsciously trusting me enough to show the real you deep deep deep down down down? Isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it?"

As he kept repeating, Sirius jumped on the ground next to him, pushing him against the bed's frame more and more.

"Stop that!" Remus exclaimed, taking a book sprawled around to hit him on the top of his head. "No divination class for you! Ever!"

Sirius grinned and he hit him once more to make sure his message had gone through his thick mind. "JIMMIE! MY PRINCESS SAW THE LIGHT!"

Didn't seem so.

Remus laughed along.

* * *

3/02/11


	21. Third year 03: Tradition

**Third year: 1973-1974**

3/17

_Tradition_

They didn't speak for a while. James' almost-snoring filled the room again. From the window they kept opened, he distinguished easily the flutter of the owls, the distant noises of the forest. The elves finishing cleaning up the common room. Sirius' heartbeat next to him on his bed. His breath unconsciously replicating Sirius' after two hours of listening to its soothing sound.

Remus heard his breath change and knew he was going to talk. He turned from the ceiling of his bed to him and smiled back as he met his eyes.

"How was your holiday?"

"We went to France again. It was great."

"You mean you talked French, then you read a lot of rubbish books, you visited places, you've read way too many rubbish books again and you ate ton of chocolate?"

Remus laughed and whispered in a smile. "They have that pastry, it's called a pain au chocolat. I could eat fifty of them every hour."

"I bet you could. You've ate enough for four at dinner. Jimmie and I are trying but I don't think we can match even if we add up our meals."

He tried his best to fit in the "normal student" type but there were things - his apetite - he couldn't really tone down.

"I can't help it." Remus blushed.

"Is it a wolf thing?" He asked. "Don't hide."

"Hn." Remus approved, mumbling behind his hands. "Was worse at the beginning. I absolutely had to have red meat because I couldn't eat cooked ones but it looked really disgusting. I starved two days before accepting to eat it and in the end it tasted sooo good I think I ate a whole cow."

Sirius chuckled, poking him in the ribs. "How comes you're not more stuffed then?"

"Don't know." He shrugged. "Mom says it's because I'm like my dad. I could live on sweets and not gain a pound."

Sirius grey eyes closed in a cocky smile. "Have you ever tried?"

He laughed, knowing full one it was as much a question as it was a suggestion.

"Once. Then I got toothache from eating so many sweets in a go... You know, it might be why I don't like them anymore. _Chocolate_ rules. Never made my tooth hurt. Never made me sick. Well, aside from the wolf part. It's all right, I guess. It gives me three days break every month and when I get back to it it's even better."

"Addict." Sirius rolled his eyes, grinning to him.

"Proud one."

They laughed at his arrogant confession. Sirius wordless comment was right: it did sound a lot like James would talk. They had made a list, earlier, of the numerous things they took from James: his optimism, his vulgar way of talking and at their despair, they had started running their hands through their hair. That was the one thing they really mustn't take from him, Sirius had laughed.

"I'm running short on chocolate." He sighed, meeting his eyes again. "I'm glad we'll get to go to Hogsmeade soon."

"We could go sooner." Sirius smiled softly to comfort him.

"Can we?" He inquired hesitantly. He attempted to shake that hesitation off and look into his grey eyes more determinedly. "I'd love to."

"There's nothing we can't do." Sirius said looking back to the window just above his shoulder even though he might have thought Remus couldn't tell he wasn't looking at him anymore.

He cleared his throat to have his attention back. "Well, there is."

As he pointed out the numerous out-of-question things that came to his mind, Sirius kept looking at him, smiling. Remus smiled back in his speech.

He loved their friendship. He absolutely cherished their conversations. It always seemed like they got out of the world to a place no one could hear them (but they could, as James mumbled words of "gntloudgnn" proved a second after). Remus still tried to tone down the sarcasm he got from his parents with James and Peter, but with Sirius it was easier to laugh at everything, with everything.

He liked to think that he was as much his confidant as he was his. James and he were like two half of the same person, most of the times. But Remus was sure he was still the only one of them who had seen Sirius less than cheerful. He was the only one who had heard about how was his home, really.

Plus, Sirius had come to his bed tonight. He had said it was because he couldn't sleep and had heard he was awake as well.

As Remus finally ended his list, checking if he still had Sirius' attention, he firmly crossed his fingers that it was a thing Sirius would do once more, and frequently repeat.

* * *

I woke up this morning gasping because I had forgotten about posting the day before... Is it still the fourth for someone? (Yes I'm trying to fraud my way into yesterday, haha.)

Either way, I apologize again! Posting every day is more difficult than I thought. Hope the chapter made up for it, though?

05/02/11


	22. Third year 04: Introspection

**Third year: 1973-1974**

4/17

_Introspection_

"I spent weeks in the hospital." He told, trying to sound as careless as possible. Those days still fueled his nightmares but he couldn't tell that, could he? "They wouldn't let me go anywhere else." Not even in the garden. The room would be locked, five times, and only his parents and two Mediwizard dared come inside. "They thought it wasn't safe enough..." He excused. "A couple of months after, we went to Scotland and we lived there since."

Remus didn't remember what had pushed his parents to take the decision to leave. His mother being muggle, she had still been promising there would be a way out of it even though they had assured there was none. She believed magic could do everything and still did. He did remember, however, saying the one solution out of it was to kill him, magical way or not. That might have changed something. Or perhaps his asking what colour was the sky again.

He shouldn't be so harsh. They had done everything they could. There were no good books on lycanthropy and no one wanted to talk about it. Even the doctors had been (were) powerless. Then, one Mediwizard was simply of curious nature and didn't know anything and the other was begging them to off him, "the poor child, the poor, hopeless, child" before the next full moon. Nowadays one would be curious, the other radical, and a third annoyingly optimistic, bringing potions samples and trying out spells on him, always assuring it could work, _maybe. _Right. It never did. It would never.

There will always be one part of him, bigger than he would ever tell, that was a beast.

After six years, eighty-four full moons, half of those being brought back to human shape a couple of days before having to change again, a good first dozen bawling not to let it transform, not again, please... he was getting used to it.

"I don't understand how you managed to control it at six." Sirius spoke above his counting down the days before the next full moon (five). "I've heard they usually murdered any bitten child because it was impossible for their mind to shape up quickly enough to contain it."

He shrugged.

He had asked his parents to numerous times before he could see them cry more often than he did himself. He had stopped after hearing the screams of his mother waking in the middle of the night, praying to give her her son back, her baby, her healthy boy. He had heard the sound of bottles opening, of his parents drinking their way into sleep when nothing never worked out.

When he had received the letter from Hogwarts, for the first time in long, he had remembered what hope felt like. He had remembered why he shouldn't give up. He had promised he would remember all his life to move, left, right, forward, always.

"Yet you barely get angry even when I put all my efforts in it." Sirius continued. Sirius congratulated? Coaxed?

He stopped scratching invisible marks on his bed's wood to look into his eyes and have the answer.

"I don't want to be a monster." He explained in a breath.

Sometimes now, he even found himself thinking he _wasn't. _A part of him was, not him. Then, of course, he would hear something happening a mile from him and remember.

"Were you scared?"

He nodded. He still was. All the time. If he ever let it out of control, if he hurt someone, if he _turned_ someone...

There was no pity in Sirius' eyes however. Not the least of sympathy. His grey eyes were glowing with pride.

"You really are someone." Sirius murmured, with a slight smile and a seriousness in his voice he hadn't head this year yet. "You amaze me."

Remus was sure it was only the human part of him grinning back. That before Sirius decided to embrace him.

"Are you done talking the both of you?" James exclaimed as he walked up to Remus' bed. "Last night I let it go, sure, you guys have your fun. But it's bloody five in the morning! And I can hear you mumble and mumble and mumble!" He widely opened the curtains before taking a step back. "That's... quite weird."

Turning to his best friend, Sirius explained the situation: "It was 'tell your unfunniest childhood story' time, Jimmie, and my princess here deserved a hug for being so princess-like."

"Can you let go of me now?" The princess here asked. "It hurts."

As they made room on the bed for James, Remus realized Sirius' debatable reason for holding his ear was actually very logic. He had completely stopped counting the hours before the full moon - everything had been gone off his mind. Almost like one of those legillimency sessions they had tried on him to see if it could "erase" the wolf (what a joke, too). It was odd that touching his head had done such a thing but Sirius winked at him and he forgot about the minutes droning again.

"I think my unfunniest story is when I told mom Mediwizards were useless compared to Aurors. She practically diswoned me."

Remus made a face at James. "It's not even up to discussion."

They both listened to Sirius hum for a second. James because he knew his best friend was going to say something stupid, him because he knew even better. Sirius was hesitating to tell them. Was it because James was here? Would have he told in a whisper otherwise? Would Sirius one day confess, willingly to him about... anything, just talk to him without theatrics?

"I used to play 'I'm a death-eater' with my cousins." Sirius paused at their shocked faces. "What? It was fun! I got to hex them as much as I wanted when they played the muggle!"

* * *

I admit it's a bit on the angsty side... If Remus would suck it up, too! Ah, that boy and his problems, you never see the end of it, really. :p

Hope you enjoyed!


	23. Third year 05: Homework

**Third year: 1973-1974**

5/17

_Homework_

"This year is going to be all fun and love."

"Love?" James repeated, getting Sirius feet off his nose. "You want love this year? Isn't he cute Rems? Sirius wants to fall in lûûûve!"

Remus chuckled at their mock fighting. James stopped watching out for Sirius' comeback to throw a glance at him. Remus usually laughed at his jokes and even more at their fights. He didn't just _chuckle. _Oh well. After one night sleeping for a couple of hours before classes and pulling a all-nighter yesterday, he might have finally got tired. Not that James wanted him to be tired, mind you.

He was just a tiny bit curious of what they were talking about for so long. If Remus' quick retell of his childhood for him yesterday was any indication, secrets were being confessed. And not to him. Was Sirius telling as much? He must have been for the conversation to hold them up, musn't he? Perhaps had he told Remus things he hadn't told him. Perhaps had he answered questions about his holidays that he hadn't want to answer to him. Even though he was his best friend and had known him for longer. Plus, he knew about aristocracy (although his parents, being open "muggle-lovers", weren't often invited to their events) and he also knew more about Black's family than Remus must have. It wasn't fair.

But he didn't mind. He really didn't. He knew how to share, unlike Sirius. He shared a lot. Hah, they both must have known as much about him as he did, by now. He shared so much that they could answer personal questions for him, he was sure.

He stopped smiling. Could _he_ answer personal questions about them? He hadn't known Remus for that long but... his favourite colour was brown, he didn't like sweet but adored chocolate, he breathed for books and worked way too much. Oh, and he was a werewolf. And Sirius... Sirius' favourite colour was dark red, he didn't like classes but knew better than all of them, he breathed for laughs and was way too much crazy. Hey, he did know them!

James smiled back.

"I didn't say that." Sirius corrected in a haughty tone mostly wasted by the fact that he was eating at the same time. "I said love as in, kissing and stuff."

James yawned and straighten up not to fall asleep in the middle of the discussion in case there were secrets afterward. "Why would you want that? It's gross."

He was getting hungry but Remus wasn't sharing - not with him. He eyed him with a tiny little bit of resentment as Sirius reach for another piece and got it. Remus would always whine that there wasn't enough left whenever he asked whereas Sirius always got as much as he wanted.

Peter and he hadn't found the right word to describe that special thing yet, but it was something. Or perhaps Remus was considering Sirius a friend and the two of them as buggers.

But it didn't sound like Remus. Hopefully.

"I'm nearly fourteen! It's time for me to grow out of the child I once was and become a man."

"You'll be fourteen only next March." Remus stated. "As we all will."

It was a fact they had learned after a group scout where Sirius had stated he needed to find presents for them. They were all born in March: Peter on the first, Sirius on the eight, him on the ninth and Remus on the twenty-seventh. It had been butterbeers and sweets nights last year (chocolate for Remus, nicely provided by his friends... well, no it had been Sirius). For this coming one, Sirius was planning to introduce them to whiskey and wines.

"It's soon. I have to do some stuff before."

James and Remus exchanged a look. Whatever they would say, Sirius had set his mind on it. Now, all they could hope was that he wouldn't discover himself a liking for some illegal practice.

They really didn't need that to add up to their record.

"And how do you plan to do that?"

After all, now they needed to know the more possible to prepare their strategy. With another look at Remus, and seeing how little he seemed concerned as he watched Sirius smile mightily, maybe he would be the only one caring about it. He and the people who would suffer from it. He had counted on Remus before to help him control that crazy ideas magnet they had for friend, but he seemed more intrigued than worried this time.

James sighed. Sirius hadn't even done anything yet and he could already hear Professor McGonagall "this is the last time I'm letting you off with a warning" speech.

Sirius rose to his feet and bowed in the most respectful way. "I, Sirius Black, plan on becoming the most wanted man ever in Hogwarts." He let himself fall back in the bed, making all of them bounce and laugh. "Then in the world but I don't want to see too big in the beginning, you understand."

"Of course." Remus ironically approved while he was shocking on his own saliva trying not to laugh too loudly. "You wouldn't want the whole word to feel ashamed of not being as amazing as you just right now."

"Exactly."

* * *

Sometimes it's so hard to decide which point of view to pick. The first version had James' but then I started again with Remus'. I went back to James' to have an external (external from the R/S' relationship, I mean) point of view. I thought it'd be a good idea since they've grown out of the "not-friend-but-near" kind of thing, to this.

Just tell me you enjoyed it and I'll try to forget how crazy I am to think so much about fanfiction!


	24. Third year 06: Mortal

**Third year: 1973-1974**

6/17

_Mortal_

"How were your holidays?"

Remus attempted not to look like Sirius' breath had got uneven at his question. He tried not to show he knew how uncomfortable this question had made him. Because he knew Sirius didn't want to talk about it. He knew Sirius had drawn a very bold line between his aristocracy (this including his family, the events James said he went to and his education) and how he acted in Hogwarts. Remus knew very well he wouldn't say anything about it if he didn't "push" him to when he was upset.

Eighty seconds later, Sirius breath was stable again and when he turned to look at him, there was no sign of his hesitation in his eyes.

He hoped he had erased all of it in his. In all honesty, he had wanted to ask those four words since the quay. Well, since Sirius had come back from his Christmas' holiday in first year, really. Nearly two years later and after a fortnight of talking every night, he had thought it was now or not for long again. James had fallen asleep straight after dinner after a week of maintaining the conversation until three or four in the morning. But tomorrow perhaps he would impose himself again. So after some time of wondering who was the best teacher at Hogwarts apart from McGonagall, joking about the grades of the other students on the latest essay in Ancient Runes, he had finally said it.

"Worse." Sirius told in an even, controlled voice. "The beginning was rather nice. Aristocrats often have conventions organized to show to each other how amazing they are." He rolled his eyes and closed them before speaking again. "Otherwise it's just time to go by. It's a lot like being in class only with more screaming."

Remus listened to their heart beat almost at the same time as he bit his lower lip, unable to bring himself to speak any of the questions rushing in his mind. Who screamed? At whom? Was it to him only? Did his brother have his share? Was it usual in aristocrats family? And when their jokes exploded too close for comfort, what did he mean by he "had worse"? Why did he find funny that he wanted to heal his paper cuts when he didn't even notice them? How could he even get paper cuts since he never saw him read a book?

He made such a poor Gryffindor! He wanted to help him so much, to be able to sooth his worries away in saying he was proud, too, to be friend with such an amazing person. He wanted so much to know - and in the same time, he didn't want to crack this mask of all time happiness he promised them. He didn't want to see him uncomfortable so long.

Oh Merlin he did _not_ want to see Sirius _cry_! _Ever_!

"Tell me princess," Sirius brought him back from his staring at his eyes thinking how _wrong_ tears would look on their grey shade. "do you reckon vampire sparkles or is it another stupid muggle myth that tainted our knowledge?"

Sirius' questions always sounded like a test. If he answered wrong, he would see the gentle mockery whilst Sirius enquired about something else without saying aloud that he had failed. Then it would bug him each passing second until he finally found a book telling him exactly the same thing Sirius' look had: he hadn't pass.

When he was right however, Sirius smiled a bit, contented.

"They do." Remus turned on his back to stare at the bed's frame, certain of his response. He knew how Sirius closed his eyes slightly when he was right, how his cheekbone raised in his smile and the almost laugh of contentement that showed his teeth. "That's why they never go out daytime. The shame would kill them faster than silver bullets."

"I guess that's why my mother didn't allow me to talk to him at the ball, that time. A star is like a sun, isn't it?"

"Yes." He answered right again, yawning after catching sight of the pale pink of the sun from the window.

"I shine, then."

"You shine on me every day."

"That's lovely." Sirius poked him lightly - just on the spot he was ticklish. He hit back, blindly finding his and laughing together. "It's so mean of you to be sarcastic to me." Sirius whined.

"Isn't it?" He laughed along.

"You shine on me every night, Moonshine."

The nickname sent shiver down his spine. It was... It was the third time Sirius called him that way. On the day he told him he knew, on the day he told him he knew before. Today.

"Your eyes are close at night."

He turned back to Sirius to see his eyes were also only half-open and smiled back at his soft smile.

"I sleep with my eyes open." He still argued back.

"You don't."

Remus watched his eyes close a little bit more, opening to meet his, almost closing again, flickering.

"What were we talking about?"

He chuckled softly, closing his eyes as well this time. "I don't know."

They both laughed when, another silence later, Sirius hid the grimace of his repressed yawn behind his hand. He then stuck his tongue out to counterbalance the aristocratic mood and once their smiles lessened, Remus thought they would both never give up and fall asleep first.

"I sleep here." Sirius however stated, stretching to take his half of the cover like he had for the past fortnight when James left stumbling or when they pushed him out of the bed because there wasn't enough place for the three of them.

Sirius' fingertips fell on his forearm when he was done. When he shifted to make himself comfortable as well, Remus almost knocked their forehead together, instead laughing again as he did hit to play and Sirius hit back. They stayed still a moment, waiting to see if the other was really up for a pillow fight this late (early, perhaps). Nevertheless, the feeling of a much needed power up nap must have been shared because he didn't move.

"Moonshine?" Sirius called in a murmur.

It was a mix of the fourth time he called him that way, his forehead again against his, his fingers pressing on the palm of his hand and Sirius' breath on his that woke him up enough to mumble he was listening.

"I don't hate my family. I hate their ideals, not them."

Remus opened his eyes to see his were still closed, his face still soft. "Okay." He paused to hear any indications, to be sure that none of his breaths on his were shorter than the other, to see if he would meet his glance or look upset.

There was a smile at the corner of Sirius' mouth that slowly faded as his breath became more profound. "Dream about me."

* * *

All those bedtime talks made me sleepy.

Hope it didn't do the same to you!

Edit 8/02/11 : Thanks to Narcissa Raie's for her science help! And by the way, if you find a reference in there of something you really dislike, just be sure that I do, too. ;)


	25. Third year 07: Sparkler

Two words before the chapter. One, I'm very open to hear about my grammar, typos and syntax mistakes. Feel very free to point them out to me! And two, damn it, the reference I've done in the previous chapter was ALL mockery!

There. I'm good. Enjoy!

**Third year: 1973-1974**

7/17

_Sparkler_

"You're sick." Remus stated when he walked in the dorm.

He had felt a bit dizzy this morning after his usual running around being silly, it was true. His body was still getting used to sleeping even less than before since Remus and he had made an habit of three hours sleep on weekend and fifteen minutes power naps on weekdays. Luckily, Madam Pomfrey was always too busy making sure he didn't break anything to notice his stealing pepper up potions during his monthly visits. His mother had told him it could be another fortnight before his mind got complete control of his body about his resting needs. Until then, Peter was always nice enough to wake him up when the classes were over.

"I prefer 'different', if you don't mind." Sirius retorted as he put his head on the boy's lap, his favorite place in the world to nap.

Remus rephrased, touching his forehead. "I mean that you are medically sick. You have a fever."

"Please. I never get sick."

It would be the last straw if he did. Attending classes where he learned nothing? Fine. Making sure he still learned things? His pleasure. But adding being sick to his having to play nice with people he didn't always like and not spending enough time with his brother would be too much. Besides he would have had to ask his mother to focus his next holidays on his body, then. The Quidditch trainings were good to strengthen his muscles but he still could feel how weak it was in comparison of his mind. If his body was stupid enough to get sick, his Christmas holidays were ruined.

"Let's go to the infirmary." Remus pleaded, sounding more and more worried.

"I am not and I will not get sick. Relax, Moonshine. Everything's fine."

The thought of spending the rest of his Sunday chilling with him had washed his tiredness away, anyway. He did feel good and healthy. He'd be even better if Remus started to play with his hair like he had last time. His stroking them back and sideway during their conversation always made him smile. He also liked when he did it in the morning to wake him up - much more that he liked James yelling his name a tad bit too much like his mother would.

"Would you bet on that?"

Sirius straightened up, confused. "I thought you thought betting was a stupid thing to do."

It wasn't, really. James and he did it all the time and it didn't always end up badly. One trip to the nursery and they were all good to go for another. Even Peter would accept any bet! It was just Remus and his fondness of staying pain-free since one night a month he would already try to shred himself to pieces.

He understood, of course. Remus wasn't a spoil sport at all, he stayed out of their bets and had told him only privately how stupid he thought them. Sirius hadn't told him that James thought he was a coward of sorts because... Remus, a coward? He was even more courageous than all of those Gryffindors together! It still annoyed him that James had said that last week, but the speech Peter had given him had been very fun to watch. Mighty Potter blushing and stuttering in front of angry Peter and his highpitched sentences?

Such a sight!

"I changed my mind."

"Brilliant!" He grinned, delighted that they had yet another thing in common. "Do you want to bet how many Bertie Bott Beans you can put in your nose?"

Remus made a gagging gesture. "And then you wonder why I think bets are stupid?"

All right, yes, they were often challenging themselves about silly things. But those silly things could be considered as experiments just as much as silly things. It could! Asking Peter to jump from the highest tower to see if suicide was possible at Hogwarts could have been very instructive! Besides they had secured the ground and James had been there to catch him if he wasn't stopped.

If Professor Dumbledore hadn't come to ask them not to, it would have been a great discovery!

Perhaps it had been a bit dangerous. All of Bella's ideas were. That was why he liked them so much.

"No." Remus shook his head. "I bet you're sick."

"My poor moonshine." Sirius said as he stood up as well. "I am afraid you didn't quite understand the concept, did you?" He paused. It may be Remus but it was still a bet he could win. "All right. So... when you'll lose, you're going to give me a shoulder massage!" He could win, but it was still Remus. "See how nice I am? I don't even profit from your naïveté."

Remus shrugged, crossing the door.

"Wait up!" Sirius called when he began walking down the stairs. "What if I lose?"

"I thought you weren't sick?"

"I am not!"

"Then it doesn't matter, does it?"

* * *

To avoid any confusion and people wondering if I'm referencing twice to something, I want to make sure all of you understood that "Bella" is Bellatrix. Yes?

Good!

See you tomorrow.


	26. Third year 08: Advisor

**Third year: 1973-1974**

8/17

_Advisor_

"How-How-HOW-HOW-TCHI!"

Peter still looked concerned whilst Remus covered his laugh behind his hand. James wasn't as discreet as he chuckled evilly.

Those two days Madam Pomfrey had said it would be for Sirius to recover would be very, very sweet. The sneezing sickness, or whatever complicated name the nurse had used, was very common among wizard who didn't cover the starting point of their magic. James didn't know what it was. He didn't care. Sirius couldn't talk for two days. That was the important point. It meant no until-sun-raises discussion with Remus. It meant sleep for him _and_ them. They were growing up, they needed at least ten hours of sleep, right? He was sure he had heard that somewhere.

"I think what Sirius wants to ask…" James eventually helped after he had tried another time. "is how did you know he was getting sick?"

There were only the four of them in the room and he reached to sit at the end of the bed. Peter had already taken the nearer chair and Remus had stayed next to Sirius since after he had come to fetch them.

James remembered why he didn't like the never ending conversations and confessions he wasn't part of. He remembered very well the feeling of being kept aside when he woke up to find out they had slept in the same bed again. But it was impossible to dislike Remus. Remus was nice. Not even the yucky, insisting, trying-too-hard kind. He was just nice. Nice enough to go look for them in the whole castle to tell them their friend was in the infirmary for the next two hours. It wasn't something that would, could or should have worried them at all. They would have just asked the usual question of "what happened this time?" when he would have come back. But Remus wasn't like that - Remus bloody cared. Enough to comply to Sirius' I'm-suffering-so-much eyes and stroke his hair soothingly.

He was _too_ nice, even! Besides Pomfrey had said Sirius wouldn't feel any pain whatsoever, just unease. And Remus still asked if he felt better like he was dying.

"He smelled it." Peter answered before he could. "He has developed capacities since..."

"Since I was bitten." Remus ended, smiling _nicely_. They had noticed Peter was always very gentle with the subject whereas Sirius and he would joke about it carelessly. Yet there were no need to be so damn understanding about it, Remus! "So… yes… I smelled it."

"How does it work?" James asked feverishly, knowing Sirius would have asked too. If he could. But he couldn't. Silence was his new best friend.

"I… it's the same as you, I guess. It's just more pronounced. I can tell if you're scarred or angry, sick or healthy. Not much. And it's easier near the full moon." He flushed slightly before continuing. "That's why you can never surprise me. I smell you coming."

That wasn't nice at all. It was even very unfair. Remus was winning by two hundred thirty their Surprise Me Not game and he had never thought of mentioning his enhanced capacities? Was he really that fragile that he couldn't take a ball of parchment at the back of his head once in a while? They all endured it with laughter. Granted it was funnier to try with him being untouchable but...

No, Lupin was evil, period.

"THAT'S-I-i-i-i-TCHI!" Sirius attempted to yell. "Tell hi-im Jim!"

James shrugged off both the new nickname and the outburst, however. He was mad. Very. He couldn't let that cheating pass. "Is that all?"

"Mostly." Remus evaded,

"It's just your sense of smell then?" James pressed on, leaning on to make sure he was making his point clear that no more lying would be accepted.

"Well… No. My hearing's good too. There's a spell I put on every morning to turn it down to human level."

"Why would you do that?" He exclaimed.

"It's kind of annoying. I can hear stuff that happens ten kilometers away. It gets really difficult to concentrate. And since there's so many people here, it'd be difficult if I could hear where everyone was all the time."

Hear where everyone was all the time. How awesome was that? Why couldn't he be a werewolf as well? Average wizard were so boring! It was no wonder Sirius spent so much time getting to know him! There were so much he didn't know still, aside from him being too nice and very evil.

Wait.

'Hear where everyone is all the time.'

That was more than awesome! It was perfect!

Remus Lupin was a gift from Merlin!

"I am not scouting at night!" Remus immediately shouted before he could even say anything.

Oh, Merlin, they were going to have so much fun!

* * *

This was a pain to revise! I'll try again tomorrow but I didn't want to go to bed without posting.

What do you think?

Edit 10/02/11: There, a little bit better! :)


	27. Third year 09: Genesis

**Third year: 1973-1974**

9/17

_Genesis_

Sirius had been following them for a while without focusing much on the path they took or on James' babbling. They had gone left a lot, there had been something about the new broom coming out next week and then his attention had been back on Remus.

Remus' absence, to be more accurate. Strangely, it was when he noticed him the most. He noticed how much more easily he would get bored. He noticed his thoughts circling around one of their discussion or on something they had talked about doing when he would get out of the infirmary, in better shape than he had seen him last. He hoped the scar he had seen on his ankle wouldn't prevent him from coming to Hogsmeade with the school on Saturday. Well, they could stay otherwise, and go to Hogsmeade another day. They could profit of the silence to take the sofa near the fireplace, the one Remus liked best. He could help him catch up with classes if he insisted, or they could just talk and eat sweets until the others came back.

Peter's umpteenth sigh cut him from his daydream. James liked to sigh. Peter didn't. What was going on here?

"Don't tell me." James was chanting. "I know where we are. Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, I know. I know where we were so I know where we are and where we will be is the common room as soon as soon is soon."

Sirius looked back to see a very alike corridor to the one they were walking on. They didn't usually go on their own since no sense of orientation was sufficient in Hogwarts. They shamelessly used Remus' lycanthropy to get them to new places or just wherever they wanted from wherever they had gone. When they went alone while waiting for him to be back on his feet, Sirius would usually take his role and make sure they didn't go anywhere they couldn't come back from.

However he hadn't managed to focus all day and they had profited of his inattention to get them in the deepest corners of the castle.

Nevertheless, James, stubborn James, went ahead, very confidant when he turned right.

"We're lost." He stated to his and Peter's back.

James turned with a grin that didn't resist much his raised eyebrow. "We're not lost." He mumbled looking ahead again.

"We're lost?"

"We're not lost. Sirius, stop scaring Peter." He commanded, walking faster. "We're not lost."

He turned right again. Then another time before Peter couldn't take it anymore.

"We should have waited 'til Remus was here. We should have waited, we so should have waited, we"

That boy was so candid. And a perfect Gryffindor, too. Emotions before reasons. Fear before thinking through the situation. James looked back to him again, eyes full of hopes. Of course he could decide to take on the situation and find a way to get them out of here back to the common room.

But wouldn't it be funnier to just keep walking?

Peter turned to him as well, waiting for his input.

"We're not lost." He promised reassuringly.

They smiled almost in the same time.

"See Pete?" James called with a relieved laugh. "We're not lost!" He paused and glanced at him again. "Where are we then?"

It always turned out fine, even if it didn't look so at first. James had taught him that. Especially when they were together, James had assured him numerous times in the first months they had met, they will always find a solution.

"Here's a window." He said to fill the silence.

Peter wasn't as convinced as James' big smile. "So?"

"I can see the forest." He announced once he had had a look outside. "Which is good." He soothed. "Very good, indeed. It means we're still in the castle." James hand hit his forehead. He did that a lot, too. "And since we can see the forest from every window… Let's find something else."

Well, to be honest, he had never thought James theories were very good. He only ever agreed to them because it was quicker than demonstrating he was wrong. Like when he had said the Sorting Hat had been right to put him in Gryffindor and that he fitted here better than in any other house. Or when he assured that there were better things to do at five in the morning than to talk with Remus for some more hours. Or even that time he had gone on and on about him not needing any work to be that smart.

"We're lost." James gave up, sitting on the floor.

"We're lost?"

He was becoming much more attached to them than he had planned to. The Christmas Holiday coming up was perfect proof of that liking gone too far. He wasn't dreading the punishment room and whatever his mother had come up with. He was only fearing he wouldn't see them on the quay on the fourth of January. He was scared he would miss Peter's grin upon seeing him all right as well and James calling them in the empty compartiment he had found. He was downright terrified he wouldn't be able to catch a glimpse of Remus' reflection in the window when he'll look for him.

He stopped his daydream with a comforting smile. "We're not lost. Jimmie, stop scaring Pete. We're not lost." He grinned. "We're just looking for a new way to the Gryffindors room, that's it."

"Sirius."

"Jimmie."

"We're making a map of the castle."

"And spoil the fun?"

* * *

Sirius' point of view for a change, heh!

Hope you enjoyed and see you tomorrow :)

10/02/11


	28. Third year 10: Expert

I'm a horrible person! I won't promise a chapter tomorrow, but I promise to try!

**Third year: 1973-1974**

10/17

_Expert_

"Not again!" Sirius yelled from the bathroom. "That's it!"

"What's going on?" Remus enquired from his bed, closing his book right away and looking up to find where Sirius had gone.

James hadn't come back from detention and Peter was downstairs trying to understand how to cast the latest charm spell with a group of elder year who had decided to give a hand to those who needed. He dearly hoped it was something he could solve by himself, not like the last time he had tried and they had ended in the infirmary for the rest of the afternoon, their face messed up with the explosion of a potion Sirius had refused to tell what it was for.

Besides they most likely wouldn't be able to talk all night in the infirmary. Even less sleep the strange way they had got used to sleep. When they had continued after the Christmas break, James had given up jumping on Sirius' bed to wake him up, instead jumping on his and getting two person yelling that they were going to slaughter him in his sleep.

Peter kept shrugging that he slept with his brother sometimes so they could talk.

He had no idea how much Remus wanted to worship him for always finding perfect, very logical and reasonable arguments for when Sirius simple madness wasn't enough to explain himself to Lily. Lily, who he dearly hoped, had stopped having this "crush" on him by now. They hadn't talked about it anymore after her confessing off-handedly.

To be honest, he hadn't been able to look at her in the eyes since.

If Sirius, by any chance - ah! by any mistake, misleading, or potion mishap, most likely - was to have a crush on him (or ever think of kissing him again because he was his princess and what not), Remus was fairly certain he would have the same nonchalance about it. Sirius was nonchalance personified.

Except right now. He looked more psychopathic and scary than careless, right now.

"Are you all right?" He asked at the bathroom door, watching him watch himself in the mirror.

"NO!" Sirius shouted, turning to him and pointing desperately at his head. "They're looking like Jimmie' again!"

"Who?"

"MY HAIR!"

Remus almost jumped at his outburst. His hearing spell has been down for most of the time since they scouted a lot. Now that he thought of it, he took his wand and put it back on. Sirius whining on and on sounded much less annoying now that he couldn't tell how high-pitched his voice could really become.

Because it wasn't that bad. They were just a little messy. And sure they looked like James'. Every messy hair did.

"I'm going to cut them then I will send them to mother then I will let them grow again then I will cut them again and then I will send them to her again." Sirius declared after another glance at his reflection. "That's going to be fun."

"But if you just combed them..." Remus gently suggested.

Sirius wasn't convinced, or willing to oblige. "If you say so." He shrugged, taking his wand out of its sheath. "It takes way too much time." He sighed again, running a hand thought his hair before a knot stopped his fingers.

He looked at him with despair again and put his wand back, instead taking a hairbrush and walking to him. "How much do you love me, moonshine?"

Before Remus could think straight enough to catch his breath and answer wittily, he was sat and pleaded with another I-need-you-so-much-in-my-life-right-now look to be nice and comb. It actually was more than combed, Remus thought after an hour. His hair was perfectly fine, silky, smooth, and whatever adjectives Sirius had used to make him continue again and again.

"Sirius?" He whispered. "Are you asleep?"

"No." He stretched and leaned back to him, resting his head on his shoulder. "It feels good. You're going to have to do it every day and night from now on."

He mildly agreed, letting the brush fall on his bed and pushing Sirius to get off him. The brush complied, very nicely, but Sirius took his resistance as a challenge and forced his arms around his torso, patting his hand when he gave up fighting and hugged back.

Because they were friends.

And friends talked, helped, hugged.

And they were friends.

And Sirius' warmth, which he could feel spells on or not, wasn't in any way troubling.

Because they were friends.

Really.

* * *

15/02/11


	29. Third year 11: Candle

**Third year: 1973-1974**

11/17

_Candle_

There was one thing he hadn't noticed had changed about him: study books bored him after precisely an hour and a half. He hadn't noticed before because until then, his alone-time during the day wouldn't often get longer than one hour. Either because of classes, meals or Lily begging him to help with her homework since she had (again) listened to gossip instead of lessons. Sometimes Peter would be the one asking for him to play cards or chess during breaks. But mostly, it was because one hour was enough for Sirius to turn the world upside down and to come back to tell him about it.

And he wanted to listen to that story. Any story, really. He was very content just listening to Sirius blabber on since it was only at night that they talked - really talked.

Discreetly, Remus reached for his wand in the beautiful leather sheath his parents had got him for Christmas. He briefly thought back of the time before Hogwarts, when he wasn't allowed to even approach his father's wand in case the wolf took control and decided to kill everyone within reach. Apparently they weren't so afraid of that happening anymore - enough to encourage him to keep it close. Or they were just more scared of death-eaters breaking into Hogwarts like it had been written bold and big on every Newspapers for the last couple of months.

He smiled lightly at the unlikeness of something like that happening in here and turned his hearing spell down enough for his hearing range to reach their dorm.

"Those pants or those one?"

"Both make you look like you have a fat derrière. Try this one."

"It's yours."

"Which is why it's better cut, then. Put it on."

Remus was of a curious nature. He needed to know or he would wonder and wonder and wonder and he would feel like his head would explode. Could heads explode from curiosity? He should check. He quickly walked up the stairs to their dorm. However, once in front of the door, he had to take three deep breaths before he had enough courage to open it without knocking first.

"What are you up to?"

"No good." They both answered in unison, snickering away.

He sat on James' bed since they were using his and Sirius' for... the thing he wanted to know that they were doing. James put the pants on, then looked at himself in Sirius' huge mirror. His reflection gave him two thumbs up and he gave them back with a grin, still checking himself out as Sirius came up to him.

"Jimmie's going to ask someone out."

He moved on the other edge of the bed, cringing. "Sorry." He excused right away at his upset face.

"Does it still bother you?" Remus shook his head with a fake smile at his upset face. "Doesn't the smell spell we found worked?" Sirius almost cried.

"It's okay." He soothed. "I'll just take a while to adjust, I guess." Sirius' new hair product had worked miracle to grow his hair thicker and faster. They all heard about it at least twice a day. Remus hadn't openly told him how bad it smelled either but he couldn't help but walk in the opposite direction to the smell as often as possible. He had completely forgotten about it, too. Now he remembered why he had pleaded Sirius to go away one hour and a half earlier. "So... who's the person?"

James grinned. "Lily Evans."

"I've never heard of her. However Jimmie says she's pretty and got nice green eyes. Although he said so in a more metaphorical way but I'm saving you from that. As your knight." Sirius shrugged as a side commentary for him.

He _better_ be shrugging it off. Since that big speech about finding love and kissing, they hadn't seen Sirius do any of either. He had dated an aristocrat girl for two weeks but had been whining about her and cringing at her sight after their first date and still now. Besides that and even though Remus had very, very, absentmindedly noticed he received more letters than usual from times to times and that those letters didn't have any of his family's name on it (one had the first girl's, another from some stupid boy from Durmstrang from the adress, and the last one had been from a girl in bloody sixth year! sixth! that was pedophilia for Merlin's sake!), nothing including love and tongue had happened.

"I know her." Remus informed, still crossing his fingers that her crush was long gone. "She's been there since first year, you know."

James and Sirius were so caught up in their world of pranks and being crazy that they made those "discoveries" very often. However it was the first time that it was a girl. Now it would only be a matter of time before Sirius found out as well that other people existed for other purpose than being victims.

"Hurry up, Jimmie," Sirius however sighed. "I have to prepare as well."

Maybe not so long. He grinned, very happy for his friend. Actually he was so happy his whole body tensed. "And who's your date?" He said, baring his teeth with a big, ecstatic smile.

"You." Sirius winked, going to lean in but leaning back with a grimaced sorry. "We're going to Hogsmeade." Were they now? He relaxed, already amused by the afternoon of laughter coming. "We leave Jimmy to do his stuff like a big boy so we can choose my new hair product together." He wanted to say it wasn't necessary but Sirius knew him too well and changed the subject. "By the way, do you want to bet how many times Jimmie will get rejected?

He laughed. "She's very nice, I don't think she'll _reject_ him." He thought it through. "But I don't think she's interested in going out yet either. You're the only one of our year doing that."

Sirius didn't look ashamed or more proud than usual.

Why would he? He had no reasons to be either about it. No reasons not to date, or "court" as the aristocrats said.

No reasons whatsoever.

* * *

One hoorray for me keeping my word and posting today, haha!

I hope you enjoyed and with a bit of luck, see you tomorrow :)


	30. Third year 12: Incidental

**Third year: 1973-1974**

12/17

_Incidental_

"I followed his advices perfectly." James muttered to himself, dragging his feet to his bed and collapsing on it. "Did everything he said. And, and, and... No, Jimmie, don't cry. Huh. Why did it go wrong? I never did anything wrong. It was all good."

There was a something about James that he couldn't quite make out. But this thing was what kept them from being as close as he was with Peter and Sirius. Remus always wondered about it whenever James mumbled for them to shut it late at night (or rather early in the morning) and also when he would catch muttered words under his breath that he thought no one could hear. Well, _he_ could. And not being much of a confident person and hearing "oh bloody hell" when he came up to Sirius by himself might have been what had kept them apart.

That or the fact that James actually followed Sirius crazy ideas.

"James?" He called, blaming his education for being a soft touch. "You all right?"

They had been back for half an hour now and Sirius had gone to do whatever he hadn't asked not to have to lie to the teachers. They had found a product that seemed perfect and practically didn't smell. And Sirius had gotten him chocolates. Loads of chocolates he hadn't tried and even more of his favourite stuff. All was good in the world.

It did deserve a good deed from his part.

"Did you follow Sirius' advices?" He asked to be clear of what was needed.

"Yeah!" James exclaimed. "It didn't work!"

"James."

He heard him whine behind his curtain. "Whaaaaaat?"

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"That." James opened the curtain and, precise as always, he threw a pillow at his face with enough force to make James fall back on his bed.

Good deed done.

Once he had shaken it off, James whined again. "And you're not sorry for what happened to me?"

"That was your fault." He shrugged, sitting near him.

"_No_ it wasn't! It's Sirius' fault. You never blame him! It's always me!"

"Because I consider you smart enough to know when to stop!"

"Do you?"

"Of course. Sirius is completely insane! If it wasn't for you, he would have probably set someone on fire by now!" James' eyes stopped being whiny to become curious and interested. He crossed his legs, giving him enough place to sit as well. "Why on earth would you follow his advices?" James had the decency to blush.

He always retorted an innocent "do you think?" when they said he was going too far with his ideas. If they hadn't been here, Sirius would have got expelled by now. Sometimes (okay, most of the time) they talked of where had gone Sirius reasonable voice. Or if he ever had one.

"T'was stupid of me." James confessed.

"Oh well, did you try apologizing?"

"I _tried_ running, yeah! She was furious!"

"What happened?"

"I don't knoooooow. The last thing she said was that if I ever get my hand on her tight ever again she would make them go backward so I could only touch myself."

Remus took back the pillow to hit him some more.

* * *

And with that, Remus and James are further down the road of establishing a relationship than Sirius and Remus, haha!

Hope you enjoyed :)


	31. Third year 13: Advices

**Third year: 1973-1974**

13/17

_Advices_

"Do yu know what we should do?"

Remus turned to his side, feeling drowsy. Next to him, eyes bright and still smiling, Sirius was far from falling asleep.

"We should have a goal in life so things would be more interesting."

His brain took time to process. "Where d'you want to go?" He mumbled.

"Not a place per se." Sirius corrected, putting a hand on his cheek and stroking lightly. He wasn't sure his purpose had been to wake him up but now, indeed, he was. As soon as his eyes opened for real, Sirius took back his hand slowly and smiled, continuing. "Something. Where should we head? Even mentally. We should aim toward something."

Remus tried, and eventually managed, to slow his heartbeat down. Sirius was just too hyper to sleep, again.

He stretched, thinking through his new grand idea. However he drifted when his feet hit Sirius' inadvertently, making him wonder if his bed would still be big enough for them as they grew. Would it keep adjusting to the exact perfect size for them? And even though he was shamefully more concerned about Sirius, what about the others? Lily was already drifting away since the episode with James earlier this week. It had brought James and he closer but perhaps James would one day get as angry against him as he had against Sirius upon hearing his never-ending laugh at his tell of what had happened.

And if Peter wasn't here to tell him to relax, he would be retreating in his mind like now instead of gazing into Sirius' grey eyes waiting for his input.

"What do you have in mind?"

"I'm not sure yet." Sirius shrugged, stopping a second to stare at his left hand in his right, almost under the pillows they were using. He looked back to him without a comment about their unusual habit. "I already make you happy but you're easy to please." Did he want him to be more difficult to cheer up? He'd just have to think about something he didn't want to think about (they were holding hands... almost every night for the past eight months). "Perhaps I should set my standard higher. Jimmie isn't very joyful recently."

"That's because you caused him troubles." He reminded.

Sirius smiled as an answer. He rolled his eyes, smiling back.

"You know what?" James himself said, pulling open the curtain. "I'll be just ecstatic if you guys could spend two nights in a row not talking 'til six in the morning. Move, Rems."

Remus hesitated: he didn't mind James joining them at all, they had really got rid of whatever had been between them. But Sirius and him were already close to too many in the bed. Not feeling concerned by that, Sirius took him by the elbow, straightening up and dragging him between his legs. That kind of position was becoming much too comfortable for friends... but he didn't want to think about that.

"What do you think, Jimmy?" Sirius asked, carefree of course, once they were all comfortable (very comfortable). "Whom could I make happy?"

"Quite sure every professor would be over the edge if you handed over an essay in time." He said, glad to hear his voice sounding just the right amount of sarcastic and not breaking in high-pitch he had feared.

"Or ever, period." James chuckled, as untroubled as Sirius. "That'd be a nice change."

"I thought of a larger aim, actually." He grinned. "I know what we should do." James and Remus exchanged a look: when did the 'I' became a 'we'? Again? "Our goal is to try and make everyone's day better each day. If we manage that, we win."

"Everyone? As in: the whole _world_?"

"Well, maybe we should start with something smaller." Sirius approved. "The castle seems good."

"Are you going to stop breaking hearts?" Remus suggested.

Those sad people falling under Sirius' charming smile could almost start an army by now. The dates, the love-letters, everything was overrated. Not only because it was stupid but also because Sirius still was an aristocrat despite his sighing at his family's ideals and his siding with Gryffindors. From what he had read and asked James about, they had to be courting to date, and to court him, those people would have to ask Sirius (or his mother's, haha) permission. He couldn't imagine Sirius going against his educaiton for any of the squealing people coming up to him.

Perhaps for someone else... But that he would have to wait and see if anyone was good enough to deserve Sirius' it's-for-you-I-don't-care-about-rules attitude. The one that got him chocolate on Thursday's evening, the one that talked James out of detention on Quidditch practice day, the one that told Peter of all the things he missed sleeping or spending time with his family.

Perhaps someone would deserve that. It would have to be someone amazing. Sirius needed someone as wonderful as he was.

"No, of course not! I was talking about funny pranks." He laughed, happily mad. "Why would I do that?"

* * *

Errr... can this count as yesterday's post? Please?

I'll see you on Monday!

19/02/11


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